1. Positive Change Fund

    Positive Change Fund

  2. Overview

    The Positive Change Fund aims to outperform (after deduction of costs) the MSCI ACWI Index, as stated in Sterling, by at least 2% per annum over rolling five-year periods. It also aims to contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive world through investing in companies whose products and/or services contribute to impact themes addressing critical social and/or environmental challenges, measured over at least a five-year period.

    There is no guarantee that this performance objective will be achieved over any time period and actual investment returns may differ from this objective, particularly over shorter time periods.

    The manager believes this is an appropriate performance target given the investment policy of the Fund and the approach taken by the manager when investing. In addition, the manager believes an appropriate performance comparison for this Fund is the Investment Association Global Sector.

    Performance & Portfolio

    Periodic Performance

    All figures to 31/03/2024

    6 Months

    1 Year

    3 Years

    5 Years

    Class B-Acc 13.5%7.0%-0.3%15.5%
    Index* 16.3%21.2%10.7%12.1%
    Target Benchmark** 17.5%23.6%12.9%14.4%

    Figures for 3 and 5 years are shown as the annualised rate of return. This is the average yearly return over the specified period.


    Annual Discrete Performance to 31 March each year

    Annual percentage return (Updated Quarterly)

    31/03/2019
    31/03/2020

    31/03/2020
    31/03/2021

    31/03/2021
    31/03/2022

    31/03/2022
    31/03/2023

    31/03/2023
    31/03/2024

    Class B-Acc 15.9%79.3%2.1%-9.3%7.0%
    Index* -6.2%39.6%12.9%-0.9%21.2%
    Target Benchmark** -4.3%42.4%15.2%1.1%23.6%
    Sector Average*** -6.0%40.6%8.4%-2.7%16.7%

    Please bear in mind that past performance is not a guide to future performance.

    The value of your investment may go down as well as up, and you may not get back the amount you invested.

    Source: FE, Revolution, MSCI. Total return net of charges, in sterling.
    Share class returns calculated using 10am prices, while the Index is calculated close-to-close.
    *MSCI ACWI.
    **MSCI AC World Index (in sterling) plus at least 2% per annum over rolling five-year periods.
    ***IA Global Sector.

    Top Ten Holdings - 31/03/2024

    Fund %
    1 TSMC 8.1%
    2 ASML 8.1%
    3 MercadoLibre 6.4%
    4 Dexcom 5.6%
    5 Bank Rakyat Indonesia 5.1%
    6 Shopify 4.9%
    7 Xylem 4.7%
    8 Moderna 4.7%
    9 Deere & Co 4.6%
    10 Duolingo 4.1%
    Total 56.3%
    Geographic Analysis of Total Assets - 31/03/2024

    Fund %

    • 1 North America 52.19
    • 2 Emerging Markets 31.74
    • 3 Europe (ex UK) 15.24
    • 4 Cash 0.82
    • Total 100.00

    As the Fund invests in overseas securities, changes in the rates of exchange may cause the value of your investment (and any income it may pay) to go down or up.
    The information contained on this page is intended as a guide only and should not be relied upon when making investment decisions. All holdings information is unaudited. Source Baillie Gifford & Co.
    Please note that totals may not add due to rounding.

    Key Decision Makers

    Kate Fox

    Kate believes the financial community plays a crucial role in creating a more sustainable world for future generations. Kate’s experience analysing smaller companies has left her with a natural enthusiasm for businesses that address unmet needs or challenge the status quo, as well as an appreciation of their long term potential. Kate joined Baillie Gifford in 2002 and is an Investment Manager and decision maker in the Positive Change Team, as well as a Partner of the firm. She graduated MA in Economics and Maths from the University of Edinburgh in 2001.

    Lee Qian

    Lee grew up in China during a period of incredible economic and social progress, when hundreds of millions of people were lifted out of poverty and the standard of living improved for the majority of the population. Witnessing that has influenced Lee deeply and he has been interested in development since. Lee joined Baillie Gifford in 2012 and is an Investment Manager and decision maker in the Positive Change Team. He is a CFA Charterholder and graduated BA (Hons) in Economics and Management from the University of Oxford in 2012.

    Ed Whitten

    Ed’s experience of working in and studying developing countries drives his desire to work towards a more sustainable future that leaves no one behind. Ed believes that thoughtful and responsible investment in companies achieving financial, social and environmental returns has enormous potential to catalyse positive change in the corporate landscape, build trust in capital markets and help support solutions to global challenges. Ed joined Baillie Gifford in 2018 and is a Senior Impact Analyst and decision maker in the Positive Change Team. He graduated with a BA (Hons) in History from Newcastle University in 2008 and an MSc in Sustainable Development from London’s School of Oriental and African Studies in 2020.

    Thaiha Nguyen

    Thaiha believes that we are entering the golden age of technological innovations and impact entrepreneurship. The combination of the two will be a powerful driver of a thriving, sustainable and inclusive world. In her view, investors could play a critical role to support ambitious entrepreneurs that leverage technologies to bring creative solutions to global challenges. Thaiha joined Baillie Gifford in 2014 and is an Investment Manager and decision maker in the Positive Change Team. She is a CFA Charterholder and graduated BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Cambridge in 2014.

     

    Apricot Wilson

    Having worked in development, Apricot has been impressed by the power of financial markets to generate positive societal change. She has a particular interest in opportunities which support those living at the base of the economic pyramid. Apricot joined Baillie Gifford in 2022 and is a Senior Impact Analyst and decision maker in the Positive Change Team. She is a CFA Charterholder and has an MBA from the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai. Her first degree was in Modern and Medieval Languages from the University of Cambridge.

    Documents

    You can access any literature about the Fund here, either by downloading or requesting a copy by post (where available).

    To download any document you will need Adobe Reader. Please note that we can now provide you with Braille and audio transcriptions of our literature on request. It may take up to 10 days for the transcription to be completed dependent on the size of the document.

    Complaints

    In the first instance, clients should contact their normal Client Contact with any concerns. Alternatively, or for those clients who do not have a direct client contact assigned, complaints can be emailed to Baillie Gifford’s Compliance Department at: InstitutionalComplaints@bailliegifford.com. A summary document which contains details on Baillie Gifford’s complaints management policy is available upon request. All material complaints are recorded in an in-house incident management system and are escalated to, and dealt with by, members of staff of suitable seniority, independent of the area from which the matter arose.